Stuck With You
by Angelamermaid
Summary: Cristina and Owen, trapped in an elevator. Written for a fic request in In The After


Cristina and Owen walk towards a Seattle Grace elevator, having one of their regular arguments.

"I agree that your interns need to focus," Owen says, pushing a button, "but calling them Dumb and Dumber is not the way to motivate them."

"They _are_ Dumb and Dumber," Cristina scowls. The nurses in the elevator chuckle.

Not wanting to argue in public, Owen crosses his arms and keeps his mouth shut. Knowing that the silent treatment annoys her gives him a small amount of pleasure.

The elevator stops at the next floor and the nurses leave. Karev approaches the elevator, but stops when he sees the dark expressions on their faces.

"You kids have fun in there," he jokes, as the elevator doors close.

The elevator starts to drop at its normal speed. Suddenly, the lights flicker and the elevator drops a foot too quickly, shaking up the occupants. The lights go out and a second later, the dim emergency lights come on.

Owen quickly turns and checks on Cristina. "You okay?"

She nods, flattened against a wall. "You?"

"I'm good."

They wait a few seconds, expecting the overhead lights to come on. They don't.

"You guys okay?" they hear Alex yell.

"We're okay!" Owen shouts. "What happened?"

"The power is out!" Alex yells. "Call Security and let them know you're in there, okay? I gotta check on some patients."

"Okay!"

Owen sighs and presses the emergency button. He speaks briefly with a security guard, who informs him that the power is apparently out in all of Seattle.

"Great!" Cristina sits down and glares at Owen. He doesn't notice – he starts pacing back and forth.

"We've got to get out of here," he says, eyeing the walls, still pacing. "But how?"

"Are you crazy?" She watches his face carefully, regretting her choice of words. "Owen?"

"Maybe we could get out through the ceiling," he mutters, looking up. Cristina notes the increasingly manic look in his eyes and scrambles to her feet.

"Owen, are you okay? Look at me!" She grabs his arm to try and stop the pacing. He shrugs her off.

She sighs, lunges, and grabs him from behind, squeezing tightly.

He stops pacing. "I am _not_ having a panic attack!"

"Not yet," she agrees, "but I think you're on your way. Your breathing is rapid."

"I hate - small closed spaces, okay?"

The emergency lights suddenly go out and Owen gasps. They flicker back on.

"It's all right," Cristina murmurs. "We were just on what, the 4th floor? That's not too high."

"Not helping!" he says, his breathing coming faster.

"Breathe in through your nose," she counsels. "That will help. Slower."

"I need a distraction," he gasps, trying to catch his breath.

She thinks, still holding him tightly. "Owen?"

"Yeah?"

"I was engaged once too."

He turns his head around as much as he can. "You're telling me this _now_?"

"Well," she says, "I was kind of waiting for the right moment, but that didn't happen, so why not now?"

He chuckles weakly, his breathing improving. "I'm listening."

She lets go of him and sits down, back against the wall. He joins her.

"His name was Preston Burke and he was the Head of Cardio. The Cardio God of Seattle Grace."

"I've heard of him," Owen says. "Didn't he win a prize a few months ago?"

"A prize that _I_ helped him win," Cristina mutters. "Anyways, he made his move right after I became an intern here, and we were together for a short time, until he decided to break up, and then we got back together." She takes a deep breath. He takes her hand.

"He was always pushing me to do things before I was ready. Pushing me to say I loved him, pushing me to move in, pushing me to accept his marriage proposal – the ring was really awful but that's not the point – and then he pushed me into agreeing to the wedding of his dreams, the way that he wanted things, on his timeline. And I _agreed_ to those things. Never again.

"And then at the end of my intern year, he dumped me at the church on our wedding day, because I failed to live up to his expectations of the way that he wanted me to be, so he walked out and I haven't seen him since. Not that I want to."

Owen rubs her hand as she leans against his shoulder. "I'm sorry that happened to you, Cristina. Want me to punch him if he shows up again?"

She laughs. "He won't show up, he sent his_ mother_ to get his things from our apartment. But if he does, you have my permission to punch him."

"Will do. You deserve better than that." He kisses her hand.

She takes another deep breath. "There's more."

"Okay."

"After we broke up the first time, I found out that I was pregnant. I chose not to keep it, I had an appointment booked – but it was an ectopic pregnancy and I lost the baby and a fallopian tube." She looks up at him nervously. He's pondering her words.

"Cristina," Owen says gently, drawing her close. "That's a lot to happen to you in the last year and a half." She nods.

"Thank you for trusting me with your stories," he says, kissing her forehead. "I'm sorry you've had such a bad time of it."

"It's okay," she says. "This bad ass Army guy showed up a while ago and cheered me up. He was _hot_."

He laughs, blue eyes looking very pleased. "_That_ guy sounds like a winner."

She playfully punches him.

"Hello?" the security speaker sounds. Owen gets up and pushes the 'speak' button. "Yeah?"

"We're trying to figure out who is stuck in which elevator. Are there any patients in there with you?"

"No, it's Doctors Owen Hunt and Cristina Yang. Any idea on when we can get out?"

"Sorry, it could take a while. The outage hit a lot of the state, and one of our emergency generators isn't working at full capacity, so we're having to switch power around, for the essential systems."

"Okay." Owen sighs and sits back down next to Cristina. "Well, now what?"

"We could - have sex," she suggests playfully, elbowing him.

He shakes his head. "I am the Head of the Trauma department. I don't want the elevator to start working and get caught with my pants around my ankles."

"We could make it a quickie."

"I don't do quickies."

"You sure don't." She smiles and leans against him. They've only started getting intimate in the last month, and no, he doesn't make love quickly. And she has no complaints about that.

"Any more deep dark secrets you want to confess?"

"I think I've said enough for now. But I do have a question for you …"

"Yes?"

"'When did you break up with Beth?"

He exhales. "Why?"

"Well, since you broke up with her via email, I've been assuming you did it while in Iraq. I've been wondering if you kissed me the first time while engaged to her."

"Ah." He runs his fingers through his hair. "No, I actually broke up with her about 12 hours before I met you. I was a free man when I kissed you. Any more questions? I'll tell you anything you want to know."

"I don't know what I should ask you first – why you broke up with her or why you were even engaged in the first place. She doesn't seem like your type."

"Well, I'd known her as kids, we lived on the same street for a while. I ran into her again while she was in university and I was doing my residency in San Francisco, and I was feeling down after a bad break-up." He rubs the scar between his eyebrows. "Turns out that she'd had a huge crush on me for years, and she looked at me like I was this big damn hero, instead of this lowly student with no money. I liked having her look up to me, after being treated like crap by the girl before. That's how we started dating."

He sighs. "Eventually, I moved in with her. And then Mike passed me his wife's engagement ring one day, and started dropping hints that I ought to do right by his daughter. I honestly couldn't see myself with anyone else, so I proposed.

"We moved back to Seattle so Beth could live near Mike and teach school, and I was at Mercy West for a while, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I had to join up and do my duty for my country, with everything that was happening. Plus, I was in ROTC in school. I liked the military life. It pissed Beth off that I wouldn't marry her before I came back for good, but I felt I had to do my duty first before committing myself completely.

He pauses to gather his thoughts. "They tell you what it is like over – in that place, but nothing prepares you for it. Nothing. Everything so hot and dry, and well, nothing good ever seems to happen there."

Cristina squeezes his hand gently, her brown eyes warm and soothing.

"I tried to talk with Beth about it, but it just made her cry. I wanted to talk with her about everything that I was seeing, like young girls selling themselves to make money to buy food their families, little children begging in the streets, poverty and struggle everywhere, but Beth couldn't bear to hear about that stuff. She kept saying that once I would get home, I would learn to forget about it. She never understood that once I had seen those things, I could never unsee them.

"I realized then that I couldn't marry someone I couldn't even share things with. But Mike was hiding his cancer from her and for too long, far too long, I didn't break up with her, with the faint hope that she would change and be a real partner. That was stupid. She was hoping I would stop being so broody once I got home, and I was hoping she'd just grow up a little more.

"We got into a huge fight on my last leave about how she wouldn't talk, she just wanted to focus on our future and when she could finally start planning our wedding."

He grimaces. "So I did that really shitty thing and broke up with her by email rather than argue with her face-to-face one more time."

"It wasn't the greatest way to do it," Cristina agrees, squeezing his hand.

"_Thanks_," he mutters.

"But at least she wasn't left standing in a church with her eyebrows missing," Cristina says.

"Eyebrows?"

"Mama Burke wanted to wax them 'just a bit' and she took them completely off, in what she said was an accident. I looked like a fool."

"I can't believe you'd ever look like a fool."

"I haven't even told you about the dress, and the hair." She squeezes his hand again. "Thank you for answering my questions. And if you break up with me by email, I _will_ find you and do terrible things to you with a scalpel."

"I'm never going to break up with you," he says matter-of-factly.

He leaves her speechless when he does that, just casually making declarations like that. He looks down at her, eyebrows cocked in amusement.

"I heard you," she says, leaning against his shoulder. "But just so you know, I'm in no hurry to get engaged again."

"Neither am I," he chuckles softly before growing serious. "Cristina, I really don't think that I'm in any kind of shape to ask for your hand in marriage."

"Well, I'm just saying that I have no expectations regarding marriage, and I have my own baggage."

"Gotcha."

They smile. He wraps an arm around her shoulders.

"What _do_ you want, Cristina?"

She thinks. "Some day, when the time is right, I want to meet your mother."

He draws in a deep breath.

"But only when you are ready to introduce us," she says, placing a hand on his thigh. "I'm just saying it now, so that you know. For future reference."

"When do I get to meet your mother?"

"Oh god," she groans. "I'm not sure if she's going to love you or hate you. She has high standards."

"Like her daughter."

"Touché."

"Hello?" the speaker blurts again.

"My turn." Cristina gets up and presses the button. "We're still here."

"And you're going to be, for a while. The power outage has spread over the north-west. Just wanted to let you know it might be hours before we can get to you. There are patients stuck in other elevators. Are you going to be okay?"

"Sure," she says. "Hey – if you know someone's going to come try and rescue us, can you give us a heads up first?"

"Sure. Hang in there."

"What was that about?" Owen asks.

"What?"

"Wanting a heads up."

Cristina grins and clambers onto his lap. "We could be in here for_ hours_. We could end up doing something that we don't want to be caught in the middle of."

"Stubborn woman."

"So?"

He laughs. "It is getting _warm_ in here." He pulls off his lab jacket. "There's probably no harm in fooling around some…"

"It could be very therapeutic," she murmurs, leaning against him while his arms go around her waist and his beard scratches her face. The emergency lights flick out and Owen groans, resting his forehead against hers.

"It's all right," she whispers, reaching up to rub his temples. "I'm here with you, you are not alone."

"Talk to me."

"About what?"

"Anything!"

"I _liked_ it when you kissed me that first time," she whispers, punctuating her words with kisses of her own. "I thought you were hot from the moment I saw you. Although I still think you should have numbed me before pulling the icicle out."

"I knew you were tough enough for it," he chuckles warmly, threading his fingers through her hair. "And I wanted you from the moment I saw you."

"I regretted stopping that kiss," she confesses, grabbing his scrub top and pulling it off. "Just how far were you going to go?"

"As far as you would let me." He reaches under her top and unsnaps her bra, claiming his breasts with his hands.

"I thought you didn't want to have sex in the elevator," she murmurs in his ear.

"I _hate_ small enclosed spaces, especially when they're dark. Keep talking."

"We were both injured, we couldn't have gone too far that night."

"Bah, I just had a flesh wound. There are all sorts of positions we could have used."

"Where did you go that night, after you left?" She sits up straighter and pulls her top off. He pulls off her bra.

"I went back to the scene of the accident and got my car, and drove to my mother's house, where I was staying. Then I got into bed and thought of you." He sucks one of her nipples, making her hiss.

"What – what did you think about?"

"I thought about what your hair would look like, splayed out against my pillow." He turns his attention to her other nipple, hard and aching.

"What is it with you and my hair?" Her hands are deep in his hair.

"I _like_ it. And I wondered what you would sound like, while I made you moan."

"Dirty!"

"Oh, I thought _very_ dirty thoughts. You were all I could think of." He pulls her down onto his lap so she can feel that he's hard.

"And then what did you do?" she asks, as he starts to undo the drawstrings on her pants.

"I wrapped my hand around my cock and thought of you," he whispers in her ear, his breath hot and heavy. She shivers in delight.

"_Nasty_! Thinking that way about a woman you hardly knew," she teases, as he grabs her waist and gently guides her onto the floor, considerately on top of his lab jacket.

"I knew enough," he teases back, tugging her pants and underwear down. "From the way you kissed me back."

She laughs, then moans as his mouth finds a breast and his hand slips between her legs.

"Shhh!"

"I don't like being quiet!"

"I've noticed," he chuckles against her breast. "But what if someone walks up to the elevator shaft to check on us?"

"Then make it quick!"

He grumbles and she can hear him working on his own pants. "Only because this is a really good distraction."

"_Sure_," she laughs as he climbs on top of her.

"Did you think of me that night?" he whispers. "After I left."

"Once I got some really good drugs," she says, "I …" She gasps in pleasure as he thrusts into her. He covers her mouth with his own, and they work on finding a rhythm. His hand slips between them, teasing her clit. She squelches her urge to moan and instead encourages him with whispers. He lightly nips the skin on her neck as his talented fingers _slowly_ tease and excite her. He really doesn't do quick. Only when she is infused with the most delicious warmth, and starts to shudder, does he allow himself to release along with her.

"I wish I could have seen you come," he whispers, before kissing her and rolling off, adjusting his pants.

She smiles and starts pulling her pants up. They feel around in the dark for their clothes. The emergency lights flicker on again, allowing them to get dressed.

"Do you have anything to eat?" she asks Owen, pulling on her top.

"Sorry," he says, folding his lab jacket, then lying down to use it as a pillow. "Join me."

She curls up against him so they can spoon, pulling her hair aside so that her neck is exposed to his mouth. It's a new habit of hers. He wraps his arms around her and she briefly closes her eyes, resting her head against his arm. She likes how safe and secure he makes her feel, though she'd rather die than voice those feelings.

"So after you got the good drugs…" he teases.

"_That_'s a story for another time," she smirks. She adds out of nowhere, "I'm glad Alex didn't join us in the elevator."

Owen laughs, a deep hearty laugh that assures her he's doing okay. "Well, now what?"

The emergency lights go out again. He sighs heavily. "Talk to me."

"Okay, I was in the Girl Scouts. One time …"

**

When the power comes on again, they miss it, fast asleep. The elevator starts dropping, and that wakes them up. Owen, laying flat out on Cristina, hastily sits up and moves away from her, grabbing his lab jacket. He leans over and kisses her. She smiles sleepily and sits up. The elevator stops on the ground floor and the doors open.

"Hey sleepyheads!" Meredith waves at them from the lobby. "You missed all of the excitement!"

Owen stands up, all business. "I need to go check on the ER. Dr Yang, thank you for keeping me company." He nods to her with a twinkle in his eyes before walking away.

Cristina smiles and shakes her head, standing up. She notices Meredith's smirk as she walks out of the elevator. "What?"

Her friend laughs, pulling her aside where nobody can hear them. "You had dirty sex in the elevator!" she whispers.

"We did not," Cristina protests. "And if we did, how would anyone know?"

"His scrub top is inside out, yours is on backwards, and your hair is a _mess_," Meredith smirks. "And both of you look very, very happy."

Cristina shrugs and starts running her fingers through her hair. "Caught."

"Well? I want details!"

Cristina smiles softly. "We – got to know each other better. I told him about Burke."

"You did?" Meredith smiles broadly. "Good for you! That's a step forward!"

"I don't do steps," Cristina scowls, still fighting with her hair.

"But you did have sex, right?"

Cristina rolls her eyes. "Okay, we did. He needed distracting."

"From what?"

"I don't tell his secrets, Mer. And he doesn't tell mine." She looks at Meredith, who is smiling in surprise.

"Cristina Yang, I think you're in love," Meredith marvels.

Cristina smiles and shrugs. "_I_ think I really need to pee and get something to eat after a night in an elevator."

"You're such a romantic," her friend teases.

Cristina rolls her eyes. "I'm hungry!"

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up and fed." They start walking down a hall.

"Mer?"

"Yes?"

"He's never going to break up with me," Cristina says with a smile.


End file.
